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Hello, my darling Nicotine Free Creatures! In days I will be starting my Tenth Year of freedom from nicotine. I will never smoke again. At times, with smoking friends, I think...I used to smoke. Do I want to smoke again? The answer is always a ferocious, NO ! to the virulence of nicotine. I didn't have an easy quit. It took a full year for some serious craves to abate but, I never lost my Resolve. That was the ribbon of truth weaving through my whole quit, I was completely committed. At first committed to what I thought of as an experiment. I gave it a year, a challenge to myself. If after a year, I didn't like the changes...well, I would reconsider the experiment. During that first year (and continuing today), I educated myself about nicotine addiction. The changes to my brain, the science of addictions. The brutality to my lungs, my body. I knew too much after brief study to use denial as an excuse. Either I would continue to be a slave or rejoice in a profound freedom and allow my body to heal. After that first year, I committed to another and another. It is always a NOPE for me. I am very grateful to all the NOPERS here, so many blazed a trail for me and were there for a laugh or a nudge. Often, a blast of useful information from Joel Spitzer, my hero. I wrote about our addiction in my blog here on QTrain and hope quitters will find that useful on their journey. On QTrain, we all know what quitting feels like, especially the early gnarly days, and I am so proud that I can now tell you what quitting for almost a decade feels like. You know it feels good, you know it feels bloody awesome. Keep your quits and nurture yourselves, your beauty is showing. Love, Sazerac
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In celebration of my Six Years of Freedom, I wrote this little piece, now at seven years I re-visit my commitment to NOPE. Sazerac's Simple Guide To Freedom Desire: You must want to quit more than you want to smoke Decision: Make the decision to live life without Nicotine. Commitment: Commit wholeheartedly to live without Nicotine and intend on standing by your resolve. Choice: Choose to never smoke again, EVER. This choice will empower you in many, many ways. “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson Education * Thanks to Joel Spitzer, this site and lurking around the sphere, I am still learning everything I can about Nicotine Addiction. Information is Big Power and I feel sufficiently armed to maintain my quit. Changing Focus. It took some doing but, s l o w l y, when junkie thoughts would drag me down, I began to train myself to look at something beautiful or think of beauty in some way. This retrained my brain and also gave me a bump of endorphins. I use this technique during any moments of distress or discomfort. These are not nicotine related anymore, just moments of life. The concept of H.A.L.T. * (are you Hungry (thirsty), Angry (emotional), Lonesome (bored), Tired) Nine times out of ten, smokey thoughts weren't about nicotine at all, it was my body (poor thing) hollering at me to do something life sustaining for it. Now, the signals are very clear and not related to nicotine in any way. I also want to share the benefits of Breath. Deep, calming breaths of Oxygen. An elixir to sharpen and focus your mind away from the patterns of addiction. Rewards * Not only does rewarding yourself help re-wire your brain receptors, treating yourself well and being as kind to yourself makes life nice. A little spoiling goes a long way, especially during rugged transitions of any kind. ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Quitting smoking has taught me much about myself and the human condition. The truth and honesty involved in making and keeping a commitment to myself has been profound. I know myself so much better. I have exchanged an empty bravado for an inner trust and knowledge. I am grateful to everybody here, your stories, your triumphs and your lapses, too. ALL have helped me understand the hideousness of nicotine addiction and the Power of Choice, the Preciousness of Freedom. I am so proud to be part of this community. Y'all are beautiful nicotine free creatures, my friends. S * Joel Spitzer's Quit Smoking Library * Riffing On H.A.L.T. * The Significance of Rewards p.s. To anyone beginning their journey, I would recommend this thread, 10 Ways To Effectively Use This Forum To Stop Using Nicotine
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10 Ways To Effectively Use This Forum To Stop Using Nicotine ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Learn about Nicotine Addiction ~Watch Joel Spitzer Videos HERE ~ Joel's Daily Quitting Lesson Guide be sure to catch this series, Can You Spare About An Hour And A Half To Save Your Live ~Read Allan Carr's, 'Easy Way To Quit Smoking' ~Browse through Quit Smoking Discussions, pinned QTrain threads and other posts filled with our quitting testimonials. ~Watch Big Tobacco Documentaries ~ Read about what helped us through the first days Your First Days, nicotine Free ~ Understand The Significance of Rewards 2. Know You Are Not Alone In Fighting Nicotine Addiction. 3. Start a thread to Introduce Yourself 4. Fill in your quit date in your profile and keep it current ! ~Add your quit date to our Calendar ~Be sure to find Posting Your Milestones and Celebrations so you can post all of your celebrations (hourly, weekly, monthly, yearly... ) and also give your support to other quitters on their accomplishments. ~This keeps you involved in your quit. 5. Get a Ticker to monitor your Success, (excellent instructions from BKP are Here) 6. Start a Blog to your document your journey and provide a reference for you and others. 7. Start Threads about any Challenges you are facing AND any Successes you are celebrating 8. Post Frequently ~ Post on other's threads to support quitters on their journey ~ Post an SOS if you hit a wall or, if you are close. This function has saved many quits. ~ Post a Pre-Response to your own SOS to remind yourself why you Quit. ~Post in The Lounge for fun and distraction and start new threads about your interests etc. ~Play some Games 9. Commit daily to NOPE. Not One Puff Ever. ~This helps you stay accountable to yourself and reminds you that just One Puff will re-awaken addiction. 10. Commit to the board for One Year HERE. This ensures a solid quit with solid support. Please, QTrain, add what you will to this list !- 26 replies
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I quit almost three years ago and have become an advocate of Cold Turkey but, believe me, I support and encourage everybody in their precious quits. Any Quit Is A Good Quit I thought to gather some new information (in a galaxy of Misinformation) and was dismayed after googling around finding numerous instances of 'responsible experts' recommending to NOT quit cold turkey. What kind of idiotic advise is that ? Is this more Big Tobacco poisoning minds ? Big Drug companies pushing product ? Ignorance ? Today, I found a great rap about this from our Friend, Joel Spitzer Quitting Cold Turkey was simple for me. No spending any more dosh on tobacco, vape or NRT. No schedule of tapering off. No teasing the addict that is me. It was clean. It was DONE. It didn't hurt. There were gruesome days, for true but, pffttt... there will always be gruesome days about something or other. Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries, right ? I continue on a new and fascinating adventure. Not One Puff Ever How was/is Cold Turkey for you ?
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It was after quitting smoking, I realized how addiction had turned me into a spoiled brat. I indulged myself completely, I smoked anytime and anywhere possible. My most shameful example was after a home birth, my brand new daughter, alive and healthy, was being walked around by her father and I said to my midwifes, 'man, after 9 months and the last 12 hours, I NEED A SMOKE'. One of my midwifes asked, 'Really ?' 'Yes yes yes yes yes YES, I want a smoke !" She handed me a non filtered cigarette from the pack she had hidden in her jacket and that was the end of that abstinence for 29 years ! I call it 'abstinence' because I never ever wanted to quit and only quit smokes and drinks 'temporarily' for pregnancy. That was really Big of me, huh ? I didn't give a hoot about second hand smoke and that was worse than just acting the spoiled brat. Second hand smoke does actual HARM to people, animals and plants. Smoking is suicidal, homicidal, herbicidal, biocidal all the cidal-s you can think of and continues to make the tobacco companies rich beyond measure Gah! I am elated to not be lining those evil pockets anymore glad also, to not be 'cidal' anything. and one more thing... My Spoiled Brat also made quitting harder. 'This is too hard' the brat would moan 'I don't want to !' the brat would whine 'Why Are You Denying Yourself ? ' The Brat cajoled and wheedled until I simply had no other choice, I killed the Spoiled Brat. Killed Dead. Spoiled Brat-icide. Hah ! If you are thinking about quitting, Know You Can. You don't have to be the spoiled brat that addiction turns us into or, a slave to nicotine anymore. You Can Quit.
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I started a thread almost three years ago about quitting cold turkey and how much dis-information was out there when I first quit. I was so fortunate to find Joel Spitzer. Now, it seems, the dis-information is even more ubiquitous... here is a link to WhyQuit for resources about quitting Cold Turkey and my original post from 2016, Quitting Smoking Cold Turkey I am fully aware that my choice of quitting cold turkey is not for everyone but, education about addiction and all methods of quitting should be forefront, especially those methods that do not involve Big Tobacco as in gum/patches* and vaping* Education is freedom. Knowledge is power. *The Shady Link Between Big Tobacco and Nicotine Gum *Big Tobacco Lobbied To Save Vaping, Now Controls Leading E-Cigarette Company
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Hello QTrain, What helped you through your First Week without Nicotine? For me, it was: Watching The Clock and seeing 'craves' lasting a shorter and shorter time. Breathing purposefully. Satsumas. Water Saving the daily money for a pack of smokes. I kept it in a big jam jar and watched it pile up. Jumping Jacks , Dancing Wildly. House Cleaning. Determination and Desire for Freedom. I 'discovered' Joel Spitzer's videos. Daily Quitting Lesson Guide I had a suspicious (show me) attitude but, was quickly chastened and ultimately enlightened. It was during my First Nicotine Free Week, watching Joel, that I started to educate myself about Addiction. Denial was no longer my modus operandi. I started to face reality.
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Dear QTrain-ers, I was thinking today about my motivations to quit smoking and to stay quit and thought I would share them, hoping y'all share your motivations in response. I consider my resolution to quit was a primary factor but, wealth and health came into play as well. I quit on a whim, a dare to myself. Unexpectedly, my immediate motivation was an inner strength I found in absolutely committing to the journey. This really helped me through the bumps, knowing I was clear in my resolve. In a more mercenary vein, wealth motivated me and if I am honest, it was very important. Each day, I ceremonially placed a ten dollar bill between the pages of a NOPE book which filled up quickly and was moved to a mason jar. Better to see my progress. In ten days, I had a hundred bucks. In ten months, I had Three Thousand ! I felt like Midas with all that dosh. As far as health, I was in ignorant denial and never paid much mind to health risks. Sure, a minor cold inevitably morphed into bronchitis and I certainly coughed a helluva lot but, for forty something years, I idiotically accepted that was just the way things were. I was weeks into my quit before I faced the truth and began to understand the ramifications of smoking and my nicotine addiction. Facing the damage done, I am tentatively grateful that maybe I quit in time. I feel great. Breathing is rapturous, innit ! Now, health is a motivator keeping me nicotine free and I haven't been knocked down with bronchitis in four friggin' years. Amazing. The personal empowerment by keeping this commitment to myself has influenced all parts of my life. I am stronger, braver, more truthful and hopefully have a sincere compassion for others fighting addiction, living with addiction. All you smoke free creatures here are great inspirations and kick a s s motivators, keeping me on the Good Foot. Tell us, if you will, about your Motivations. Love, S
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I was thinking about Doreen caring for her Tony and found this video on what emphysema feels like here are two short videos and our friend, Joel Spitzer KEEP YOUR QUITS Y'ALL
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The Zen of Quitting Smoking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Breathe Make Your Decision To Quit Breathe Deep Never Take Another Puff Breathe Deeper Clean, Clear Breaths of Freedom The Beautiful Part About Quitting Smoking Is The Simplicity. You Can Power Through Temporary Discomfort and Be Free.
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By the way, did you know that smoking is a main cause of Sudden Death? How's that for additional motivation? http://www.cigarettekills.com/even-one-cigarette-a-day-linked-to-sudden-death.html Smoking damages every single cell in your body!
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I don't really want to call them cravings, because they're nothing like the first week at all. At almost a month in, they're more like thoughts, along the lines of "I could REALLY go for a piece of chocolate cake right now." But if you don't have chocolate cake on hand, it's not a big deal. You forget about it quickly and move on. And since that day recently where I caught myself not thinking about smoking, I have longer and longer stretches of time where I don't think about it at all. But, out of the blue, these nagging thoughts of wanting a smoke pop into my brain. Had a pretty strong one last night at a point where it was probably about the most ridiculous thing I could have done. One of my current projects involves creating a series of digital illustrations. That means a lot of time spent hunched over a tablet doing detail work and going back and forth between the main monitors and the tablet monitor. Basically that equals tired eyes and stiff muscles for me, especially since I can easily spend 8 - 12 or more hours on one of these. When I smoked, because I needed to feed my nicotine addiction, I would get up every hour for a "smoke and stretch" and get away from the computer, stretch out my stiff muscles before I got back to it. Last night, I worked for about 6 hours without getting up or really changing position. I usually work from home, sometimes out in the field, depending on the type of project I'm on, so my hours can be weird. I'm prone to eye migraines (a zig-zag of flashing/strobing lights that appears in your field of vision and lasts about 1/2 hour before going away, can lead to actual migraine or a feeling of being disoriented after), and they come on, for me, from stress and tension. Sometimes I'll go for years without having one, sometimes I'll have 3 in a row and then they stop. They're a little disconcerting. So, last night, as I'm working, I start to see that strobing light in my vision. I'd sat for too long and my muscles tensed up too much. I went to lie down in a dark room, and when it was over, I got the usual disorientation and at that point, I had a strong urge to go have a smoke. And I laughed at it. Really? Now? When I'm feeling something that is so close to being lightheaded, and it's making me uncomfortable? So, if I had a smoke then, it would just make me...more lightheaded...and more uncomfortable, among other not so good things. So...how's that going to help? Sounds logical. Hahaha. NOPE. Not at all. Funny thing is, by laughing at the thought, I took away its power and it disappeared. Just like that. It's strange to me how my brain is still programmed to want a smoke when I need some comfort or reassurance. Once you realize a smoke won't give you any of that, it's easy to dismiss any thought of smoking. It was late, Mr. P was still out, but the cats are goofy and always provide a good distraction. I tossed around some cat toys for them and in a few minutes the disorientation passed. After that, I did a quick yoga routine - one that just involved stretching and deep breathing. And all was right in my world again. Those things brought me more comfort and reassured me that all was OK, than a cigarette ever would. Bottom line? I have to remember to get up from the computer regularly and stretch out. And comfort will never be found at the butt end of a cigarette. NOPE.- 16 replies
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The American Cancer Society is sponsoring the iQuit Project, a free text messaging program that provides information and support to smokers during their quit attempt. You must be age 18+ to join. Click http://iquit.help/ to join the study. Those eligible who complete the study will be compensated for their time. *This post was authorized by MQ
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May 31st is World No Tobacco Day ! Here is a page from the World Health Orginazation (LINK) Another great day to be free from tobacco and nicotine.
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(this is in my Blog and someone asked it be put in Discussions) Memorial Day 2016 ~ A Fine Day to Quit Smoking ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Memorial Day, originally called, Decoration Day, was born from the American Civil War. In 1868, it was designated as a day of Remembrance for those who died in service. Graves were strewn with flowers and otherwise 'decorated'. I can imagine it being a terribly somber occasion in 1868, with Civil War dead in so many towns of America at the time. It is still terribly somber. I wish there was no more war. I remember little flags stuck on graves in the Cemetery, Small town parades, the sun glinting off Veteran medals, Picnics, trees in fresh green leaves, and more daylight so we could play later outside... Let Summer* commence ! Summer ! Glorious Summer ! Oh, wait, you're not still smoking, are you ? You don't want to smoke your way through another Summer, do you ? Really ? Gah ! You can be Free this Summer. Free from poisonous chains and the slow suicide of smoking. You can quit. I quit. We quit. You can quit, too ! Quit Smoking, won't you ? and have a memorable Memorial Day. Love, S *June 1, Meteorological Summer, June 21, Astronomical Summer
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So as some of you may have known my mother and brother have been staying with us for the passed *almost* year. It wasn't just them, but their two dogs as well, to say that I had a packed house is a gigantic understatement. I didn't think of smoking once. Actually quite the opposite I despise that freaking addiction. The reason that my family had to come and stay with me is because my mother has COPD/emphysema and could no longer work and support herself (or my disabled brother). She fell on hard times waiting for disability to be approved and had to leave her house because she could no longer afford it. My husband, being the saint that he is, opened our home to them. For 10 months I saw how bad her breathing truly has become. She can't walk up three stairs without becoming winded. She quit smoking nearly 6 years ago when she was diagnosed and I wouldn't want to imagine where her respiratory system would be had she not quit. She moved out last Saturday into a one floor apartment that she can manage without much help. Soon after I moved my family out, my childhood best friend came to visit. She is a smoker... she is a heavy smoker. She was limited to smoking on my front porch and boy was she out there often. I was reminded how time consuming this crap addiction really is. We spent a lot of time outside of the car before we had to be somewhere, or after we were done with a sight seeing session, it was just ridiculous. She stunk... seriously you guys, she freaking stunk, even with the layer of after smoke perfume. Haha we thought that perfume covered the stank? Nope, it doesn't you just smell like smokey <insert your favorite scent here>. I wasn't tempted once. So newbies please know that the struggle ends. You are always an addict but saying NOPE becomes easier.
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Well I have been smoking for last ten years and never felt its bad effects on health seriously. But last year when I went to play football on the invitation of one my friend, I got a hint of my poor ability to run and play. This proved to be eureka moment in my life, because upon subsequent experiments I got to know that my health was really in danger. I frequently tested my breathing ability by running, swimming and walking, and it was shocking to know that I was not now so much fit though my age-fellows and close friends were still able to play very well. I committed myself to start my efforts to quit and so found two resources very helpful, though there are many other as well, that I would like to share with all of you. One: Allencarr easy way to stop smoking. two: Quit with your whole body. I read these books on Amazon on kindle formats and they were really inspiring.
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Hello everyone, I am working on a book right now called "How I Quit" which will be a collection of 30-45 brief essays from former smokers on how they successfully quit smoking. Each interviewee will essentially write how they started smoking, the struggles they had over the years (health, failed attempts, etc.), ultimately how they overcame the addiction and end with tips/tricks that worked for them and, finally, how it has bettered their life. Each interviewee will be only identified by name (first name and last initial), and age. This 'interview' will be more of a free-flowing article you will have written as if you were explain your story to a person for the first time, so can be done 100% by an email response. 1) Must have smoked at least 15 years. 2) Must have completely quit smoking at least 1 year as of today and off nicotine replacements as of one year today. My goal is to show smokers struggling with this addicition different stories of people all in one place (this book) of people that have been there and that can offer them some encouragement. If interested, please email me at rtrapp03@gmail.com and give me a brief paragraph on your backstory (age, how long you smoked, how long you have been a non-smoker, etc.). I will give each person a free copy of this book and full credits for their story. Thank you, Ryan Trapp
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Quit Smoking Recovery Timetable Within ... 20 minutes Your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands and feet have returned to normal. 8 hours Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream has fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.75% reduction. 12 hours Your blood oxygen level has increased to normal. Carbon monoxide levels have dropped to normal. 24 hours Anxieties have peaked in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels. 48 hours Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability will have peaked. 72 hours Your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free. Over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals nicotine breaks down into) have passed from your body via your urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. Unless use cues have been avoided, the number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day have peaked for the "average" ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and your lung's functional abilities are improving. 5 - 8 days The "average" ex-smoker is down to experiencing just three cue induced crave episodes per day. Although we may not be "average" and although minutes may feel like hours when normal cessation time distortion combines with the body's panic response, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy and time the episode to maintain an honest perspective on time. 10 days The "average" ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day. 10 days to 2 weeks Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in your gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user. 2 to 4 weeks Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your physician. 2 weeks to 3 months Your heart attack risk has started to drop. Your lung function has noticeably improved. If your health permits, sample your circulation and lung improvement by walking briskly, climbing stairs or running further or faster than normal. 21 days The number of acetylcholine receptors, which were up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence in the frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, basal ganglia, thalamus, brain stem and cerebellum regions of your brain have now substantially down-regulated. Receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers (2007 study). 3 weeks to 3 months Your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared. If not, get seen by a doctor, and sooner if at all concerned, as a chronic cough can be a sign of lung cancer. 4 weeks Plasma suPAR is a stable inflammatory biomarker that helps predict development of diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer in smokers. A 2016 study found that within 4 weeks of quitting smoking, with or without NRT, that suPAR levels in 48 former smokers had fallen from a baseline smoking median of 3.2 ng/ml to levels "no longer significantly different from the never smokers' values" (1.9 ng/ml) 8 weeks Insulin resistance in smokers has normalized despite average weight gain of 2.7 kg (2010 SGR, page 384). 1 to 9 months Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath has decreased. Cilia have regrown in your trachea (windpipe) thereby increasing the ability to sweep dirt and mucus out of your lungs. Your body's overall energy has increased. 1 year Your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke has dropped to less than half that of a smoker. 5 years Your risk of a subarachnoid hemorrhage has declined to 59% of your risk while still smoking (2012 study). If a female ex-smoker, your risk of developing diabetes is now that of a non-smoker (2001 study). 5 to 15 years Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker. 10 years Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% to 50% of that for a continuing smoker (2005 study). Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and pancreas have declined. Risk of developing diabetes for both men and women is now similar to that of a never-smoker (2001 study). 13 years The average smoker lucky enough to live to age 75 has 5.8 fewer teeth than a non-smoker (1998 study). But by year 13 after quitting, your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker (2006 study). 15 years Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked. Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker (2011 study - but note a 2nd pancreatic study making an identical finding at 20 years). 20 years If a female, your excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker (2008 study). Risk of pancreatic cancer has also declined to that of a never-smoker (2011 study). http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Benefits_Time_Table.html Nicotine Addiction 101 Tips For Gaining Freedom From Nicotine Addiction Caring For Your Quit Nicodemon’s Lies My Cigarette, My Friend Are You A Nicotine Junkie? The Isolation Of A Widowed Smoker The Law of Addiction A Fate Worse Than Death The Smoker's Vow Gradual Withdrawal For Your Worst Enemy Make a ticker/quit meter to track how many days you've been quit, how many cigarettes you've not smoked and how much money you've saved. It's amazing to see how much money we've wasted on cigarettes, not to mention how many we've NOT SMOKED. You can make them right here on our forum. http://www.quittrain.com/tickers/ Allen Carr’s Easy Way I’m a huge advocate of Allen Carr’s book and highly recommend that everyone give it a read. Study the book as if you’re taking an exam in college and have to pass the course. Study it some more. Grasp the concept that cigarettes do nothing for you and you’re not giving anything up by quitting. I’ve been carrying Allen Carr’s book around with me like Linus toting his blanket. Remarkably, the book and the blanket serve the same objective. Something written in the foreward, by Damian O’Hara, really hit home. Previously the book had been used as an apparatus; direction and information which laid the prep work for success. This time, the well-worn paperback means a little more to me than just a revelation. Here is the lucid sentence that brought me back home. “In fact, like many smokers, I came to see the cigarette as my best friend, my ‘me’ time, my island of peace and tranquility in a crazy world, my ever present companion.” Ah yes, this crazy, messed up world in which we live. My crazy place in time still remains and smoking didn’t change it, ease it or make it more tolerable. All it did was leave me with regret. I can’t go back and undo what has been done but I can move forward. The good news is that I didn’t go back to where I had left off and quitting now is simply like dropping junk-mail into the recycling bin. I first saw the video clip below of Allen Carr speaking about his Easy Way to stop smoking. I was intrigued enough to buy his book, “Easy Way To Stop Smoking”, and it was a game changer for me. I never looked at smoked the same way again. I never in my wildest dreams could have thought that quitting smoking could not only be enjoyable, but also easy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TL2Vh7goJc- 6 replies
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Remove the desire to smoke and you will never smoke again. Practice on removing the desire to smoke until you firmly believe that you get nothing from it. Until then, use your smoking addiction to help you quit smoking. That’s right, you read correctly. You, me and millions more rationalized smoking even though we knew the consequences. Use those same veteran rationalization skills to rationalize quitting smoking. Think about that for a minute. If we could rationalize smoking knowing full well the damaging effects it had on our health, why can’t we rationalize quitting smoking knowing full well the health benefits of quitting? Based from my experience, the most important attribute to a successful quit, which is a non burdensome quit, is to remove the desire to smoke by understanding and believing that the cigarette has nothing to offer. This and only this will allow for a lifetime of freedom and never leave you feeling like you’re giving something up or missing out by living life as a non-smoker. So many have relapsed and so many more are too afraid to quit smoking because of all the horror stories they’ve heard about nicotine withdrawal when you quit. That horror only exists in our minds, if we let it. Of course we’ll have mild withdrawal and mental triggers that may cause cravings, but they’re far from horrific and certainly nothing more than we’ve already experienced. Quitting smoking is not hard. In fact, the whole process is quite enjoyable if we only focus on the benefits of being a non-smoker. There is no need to focus on anything else because we’re not giving anything up. We’re not missing out. The cravings come and go and soon will be gone forever. Even while we were smoking, the unwavering loyalty of our body was trying to heal itself while we kept poisoning it. It never gave up on us despite that we were putting things in our mouths and setting them on fire to feed our addiction. Once we quit smoking, our bodies take a huge sigh of relief and work overtime to make up for lost time and starts healing and repairing the damage that we caused it. The easy part for some is the initial quit while for others it’s staying quit. Ask 10 people and the answers will vary. The reality is that everyone can quit smoking and stay that way. If you’re finding it difficult to stay quit it’s because you think the cigarette still has something to offer you. This is why I relapsed. This is why others’ invariably relapse. Never give up and just continue to remove the desire to smoke by knowing with every ounce of who you are that the cigarette offers you nothing. It can’t do a thing for you. It’s impossible that it can relieve stress, doesn’t taste good and certainly is no reward. Some get this right away. Others, like myself, it took a little longer. But now that I know this, the desire to smoke has been successfully removed and although I still get a trigger here and there (just part of being a nicotine addict), I know it won’t do a damn thing for me. You can get there too. Never, ever stop striving to get there. Never smoke again. Not one puff, ever (N.O.P.E.). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVEyGdqwjmQ
